


Textbook

by axmaree



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bonding, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Memories, all the links really, hero of the wild - Freeform, hero of the wind - Freeform, hero of twilight - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-01-15 07:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18494446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axmaree/pseuds/axmaree
Summary: Wild joked that he was an open book to them; that he spilled his life story because he couldn’t keep it secret. The scars that spiraled up his side, covering half his face in wicked lines, told the story so vividly that he had nothing to hide.And most of that was the truth. Wild was an open book to them. He told the facts. He told the story like it was information and nothing more. He told it the way a warrior would write a mission recap.Wild was not an open storybook. He was an open textbook.





	1. Twilight

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the Linked Universe AU by @jojo56830 on Tumblr. You can also check it out on the Linked Universe Tumblr (https://linkeduniverse.tumblr.com/)

Twilight couldn't sleep.

There wasn't a specific reason for it. More like an amalgamation of reasons that all added together into one giant Reason. He couldn't pinpoint the exact cause, but whatever it was, he wished it would go away.

With a sigh, Twilight sat up. The fire, which had been a blaze when he dozed off a few hours prior, was just smoldering ashes now, barely radiating enough warmth for the group of heroes asleep around it. The wind whistled through the trees, rustling the leaves and chilling Twilight to the bone. He pulled his fur collar a bit tighter around himself, savoring its warmth.

Wind slept at the foot of Twilight's bedroll, wrapped up in his own blanket. The thing was thin—barely enough to protect the sleeping form beneath it. In fact, Wind shivered in his sleep, his face scrunched up against the biting cold. Twilight stood and crept towards Wind. Gently, he draped his blanket on top of Wind's, and a few moments later Wind's shivering subsided.

Twilight sighed. Wind would probably be offended by that number, but he didn't care. Mature or not, the poor kid needed to stay warm, and it wasn't overprotective of Twilight to donate his blanket, especially since he had no use for it now.

Twilight bit his lip as he watched Wind's chest rise and fall. He was so young. Brave, fierce, and a skilled fighter, but young. No matter how many times Twilight watched the boy prove himself, he couldn't stop seeing the village children. Wind could hold his own in a fight, but that didn't mean Twilight couldn't care for him and protect him.

He did a once over of the other eight heroes. There was Time, asleep farthest from the fire, propped up against a tree like he was ready to attack at any moment. Four slept next to Wind, not shivering due to his extra clothing layers. Legend and Warriors were out cold close to the fire, the former's arm thrown over the latter's chest. Sky slept with one hand on the Master Sword's scabbard, and Hyrule was curled up closest to the fire, hair poofed up from the constant wind.

Wait.

Seven heroes.

Where was Wild?

Twilight panicked for a few moments before remembering that Wild took first watch tonight. He'd be nearby, maybe up in a tree or on a rock, somewhere with a good vantage point. One glance at the moon's position in the sky told Twilight that it was probably well past Wild's shift and, with a sigh, he set out to find him.

They really needed to stop letting Wild take the first shift. He almost always stayed out far too late, claiming that he didn't need to sleep and that the others could rest. They all knew there was something else to it, something he wasn't telling them, but no one had the heart to push it, not even Twilight. The group had only been whole for a few weeks, and no one was ready to spill their secrets.

It didn't take Twilight long to find him, perched on a decent sized flat boulder just at the edge of where the others slept, picking at his fingernails with a dagger. He was surprised that he didn't see him during his once-over, but Wild's cloak was just dark enough to blend him in to the shadows. Twilight climbed the rock and sat next to Wild, who didn't say anything.

They sat like that for a few moments, watching the night bugs spin through the night air, riding the wind as it whistled through the forest. Finally, Twilight broke the silence. "It's past your shift."

"I know," Wild said, not looking up from the knife.

"You should've switched out with Four by now," Twilight continued.

"I know," Wild said again.

Twilight sighed. This wasn't getting anywhere. Wild obviously didn't want to talk about himself right now, so Twilight opted for a different approach.

"I couldn't sleep," Twilight said.

Wild set the knife down. Good, now he was willing to talk. "Why not?"

Twilight shrugged. "Lots of reasons."

Wild nodded in understanding. "I have a hard time sleeping too."

That much, Twilight knew. A few times in the past weeks he'd curled up next to Wild as a wolf while he slept, offering comfort when words could do nothing. Even then, Wild sometimes woke up in a cold sweat, unable to speak except in clipped words and twitching hands.

They sat in silence again. It felt like even the world quieted, the whistling of the wind now a soft whisper rather than a dull roar.

After a while, Wild looked at him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Twilight hesitated. Did he? Did he want to open this can of worms onto the young hero next to him? Did he really want to spill all of his problems and bring them to the surface of his mind? Did he want to talk about it at all?

More than anything, the answer was yes.

Yes, of course he wanted to get it off his chest. Of course he wanted someone to relate to, someone to reassure him and comfort him. All of the heroes were secretive in their own ways, even Twilight, but keeping quiet about everything that bothered him all the time was exhausting mentally.

Hesitantly, he nodded.

Wild turned his whole body to Twilight then, his face open and inviting. Twilight waited for him to speak, but he didn't.

 _He's letting me start,_  Twilight realized.  _He doesn't want to pressure me._

Twilight met Wild's eyes. "I'm on edge. All the time, I'm on edge. I worry about everyone, and I worry that if I turn my back, they'll all disappear." He looked out into the night sky. "I see you all, and I see you all disappearing like the children, or," he swallowed, "or like her."

Wild didn't have to ask who she was. Twilight had told him his story already, a story that only Time and Wild knew all the details of, much like how Twilight knew all of Wild's story.

"It's silly, I know. To lose sleep over her," Twilight continued. "But I can't help it."

Wild shook his head. "It's not silly. Losing someone that important to you… it's cause to lose sleep."

Twilight swallowed again. "That's not all of it, but… I think it's all I can put into words right now."

Wild nodded.

They fell into silence again. Wild shivered and pulled his cloak tighter. "I guess that's why I can't sleep tonight either."

Twilight jumped. "What?"

Wild looked out into the distance, his eyes growing unfocused. "Someone I lost. Someone I loved."

_What?_

Twilight didn't remember Wild ever mentioning a lost love. He wracked his brain, searching for a name or a story that Wild had told him, and came up with nothing. Was Wild referring to his Zelda? No, that couldn't be right; Zelda was safe in Wild's Hyrule, overseeing the repairs to her kingdom.

"Mipha," Wild clarified, noticing Twilight's confusion. "Her name was Mipha. She was a champion."

Mipha. The name sounded familiar enough from Wild's stories, but Twilight didn't remember the other ever mentioning love for one of the champions. The most Wild ever said was that they were all friends.

"I'm sorry," Twilight said, because it was all he could think to say.

"We never really made it official," Wild said, leaning back on his elbows. "But we spent so much time together… I don't know. I only have fragments of my memories, but I know I loved her. And I know she loved me."

Wild was far away now, his eyes glassy as they stared up at the heavens, towards a girl long dead. He looked pained, like he was reaching out with his gaze to pull her back, but he couldn't reach far enough. Twilight couldn't imagine what it felt like, to remember that you loved someone, but barely remember them at all.

Wild joked that he was an open book to them; that he spilled his life story because he couldn't keep it secret. The scars that spiraled up his side, covering half his face in wicked lines, told the story so vividly that he had nothing to hide.

And most of that was the truth. Wild was an open book to them. He told the facts. He told the story like it was information and nothing more. He told it the way a warrior would write a mission recap.

Wild was not an open storybook. He was an open textbook.

And now Twilight saw a side of him he'd never shown. He saw the side of a boy who'd lost everything—his friends, his family, his home, his love,  _himself—_ far too young. He saw a boy so eerily similar to himself that his heart ached just to think about it.

Without another word, Twilight drew Wild into a hug. Wild immediately relaxed into the embrace, wrapping his arms around his mentor. They clung to each other so fiercely that Twilight couldn't tell who the anchor was. They both needed comfort, and they both provided it.

When Twilight's shirt grew damp where Wild buried his face, he said nothing.

And when tears pricked at his eyes and trailed down his face, Wild said nothing.

There they sat, wrapped in each other's arms, remembering and mourning, clinging to each other like a lifeline in a raging storm.

When Time found them in the morning, asleep in a tangle of limbs and fabric, he didn't have the heart to reprimand them for sleeping while on watch. He just smiled fondly and turned back towards the others, hoping that the two had found a comfort within each other that no one else could provide.

And if the woods knew what the two mourning heroes dreamt of in the far reaches of their minds, if they held a secret that only the pair knew, they kept their silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if this will become multi-chapter or a series, but I hope to write more as soon as I finish the Voltron fic I'm working on. For the time being, drop a review!


	2. Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wind discovers some gruesome facts about Wild's past while out hunting.  
> Maybe he doesn't know the Hero of Wild as well as he thought he did.

Wind didn’t like the quiet.

Well, he liked it when it was necessary. He liked the gentle quiet that came when the whole group settled down to sleep and the only sound was the crackling fire and the wind. He liked the comfortable silence the group sometimes fell into during long treks. He liked the sound of waves against the side of a boat sailing through the sea during an early morning sunrise.

What he didn’t like, however, was the eerie, creaking silence of the open field just beyond the tree line.

Nothing really moved out there; the wind didn’t even blow enough to rustle the dry grass. They were supposed to be out hunting, but Wind couldn’t see _anything_.

Wild sat next to him, perched on the edge of the massive tree branch they shared. He eyed the open field, bow in hand, unmoving and unblinking. That was also eerie, Wind thought. Wild was just as still as the world.

Wind almost regretted coming along. He wasn’t the best archer on the team by a lot, and he didn’t even come _close_ to Wild’s skills. He only asked to go because he wanted to observe Wild’s technique and maybe learn from it, and also to get some quiet time away from the camp.

They’d set up camp an hour before, just as the sun dipped below the horizon. Somewhere on their day-long journey they’d gone from Legend’s Hyrule to Wild’s and now they had to rework their travel plan. They were heading towards Hateno village, but they were still a few days off with no rest stop in sight, so they were forced to once again set up camp in the wild. Their food supply started to run low days ago, which is what sent Wild and Wind on their mini hunting excursion.

Wild flicked his hand ever so slightly, pulling Wind out of his thoughts. He nodded towards the field, where a lone deer hesitantly picked its way out of the opposite tree line and into the open. Quiet as a shadow, Wild jumped down from the limb, barely making any noise on the soft ground. Wind slipped down behind him and followed as they made their way out of the cover of trees and into the field.

Wind took the chance to observe their surroundings. He didn’t really know where they were, but there wasn’t much to be seen other than the field and trees. To the left stood crumpled stone ruins that looked much older than they probably were, but Wind tried not to focus on them. They left him with an eerie feeling he couldn’t shake.

_How many people had died in this field?_

Wild stopped suddenly, and Wind barely stopped in time to avoid hitting him. Wild held a finger to his lips and knocked an arrow. Wind watched him as he raised the bow, trying to absorb as much information as he could.

But his observation was cut short by a small red dot. A small red dot that appeared on Wild’s side.

“Hey Wild…” Wind whispered.

Wild jumped and let the arrow fly too high. It sailed over the deer that now bolted back to the trees.

Wild whipped around, frustration apparent in his eyes. Wind flinched back and pointed at the red dot.

Wild’s eyes widened. “Get down!”

He tackled Wind just as he heard a small _beep_ and a white hot blast of energy sailed over their heads. The blast hit the ground just past them, rattling Wind to his core and turning the world white. He couldn’t see much around Wild’s body, shielding him from the blast, but he could feel the dirt and dust rain down on them both.

When Wind’s vision cleared, he could see Wild yelling and shaking him, but he couldn’t hear past the ringing in his ears. Wind stumbled to his feet and scrambled towards the trees, not wanting to look behind to see what the _hell_ just fired at them.

Wind felt more than saw another blast sail past them and into the woods. It hit a thick tree trunk dead on and the tree exploded. Wind scrambled to change directions away from the explosion.

Wild grabbed his arm and yanked him to the right. He was muttering under his breath, and Wind had to strain to make out what he said.

_“How? How? Calamity is gone. They should be deactivated.”_

Wind didn’t know what he meant, but if Wild sounded afraid, then this was something to be feared.

Another high pitched _beep_ sounded, much closer this time, and Wild tackled him again, rolling away from the white beam. Wind heard something crack—whether from Wild or himself he didn’t know—as they rolled.

Wild sprang up and hauled Wind to his feet. They stumbled through the field, dodging blast after blast. Wild stared straight ahead, deliberately not looking at whatever chased them. Wind, however, looked.

He wished he hadn’t.

The thing, because it wasn’t living, looked like a massive mechanical spider with one ugly eye. It’s head spun on creaking hinges, rotating this way and that at alarming speeds. It jerked forward on multiple metal legs that bent more than they looked like they should. With very step it jerked and stuttered and bent its legs at unnatural angles, whirring and clicking as it went.

_This is why the field was empty._

Wind faltered. Wild turned to help him.

And froze.

Wind looked up at his friend. His eyes were wide, staring not at him but at the metal creature chasing after them. He looked far away. There was something else in his gaze too, something Wind didn’t see in Wild’s eyes very often.

Fear. Pure, unadulterated fear. He stood rooted to the spot, completely open to the next blast.

“Wild!” Wind shouted. Wild didn’t move.

“Wild, snap out of it!” He shook Wild’s arm. The red dot on Wild’s chest started to focus. “Come on! We have to move!”

Wind heard the beep and screamed something unintelligible before tackling Wild to the ground, barely dodging the beam of light. That seemed to snap Wild out of his thoughts. As soon as the blast cleared over their heads Wild stood back up. Wind followed.

Wild put a protective arm out in front of Wind as if he could shield him from the creature. The other arm bore a horribly dented metal shield. Wild held up the shield like it would save them, but Wind knew it was no use. What good was an old metal slab against something that exploded a tree in one hit? They were in for it.

Wind considered running, but where would he go? That horrible thing caught up to them so fast. He couldn’t hope to outrun it. He swallowed.

This wasn’t how he imagined he would go.

That same red dot focused on Wild again, shaking like a leaf in the wind until it slowed to a steady stream.

Wind squeezed Wild’s arm.

_Beep._

Wild thrust his shield forward, directly into the beam of light. Against all odds, the shield didn’t break, and the energy reflected off of the metal and right back into the eye of the thing.

The thing lurched back like it’d been electrocuted. Its head jerked erratically from side to side, spinning faster and farther with every turn. It shook, the whirring and clicking noises it made now strained and painful, like metal grating against metal. Wind had to resist the urge to cover his ears.

Despite its obvious internal damage, the massive thing persisted. Wild didn’t seem fazed, however, and held up his shield against the red dot once again.

The thing fired again, the beep now a distorted whining sound rather than a quick noise. Wind flinched. Wild thrust his shield out. With a sickening _crack,_ the bent metal split in half as it reflected the beam of light. Wild hissed in pain and tossed his shield’s remains to the side.

The thing stumbled backwards, teetering on its legs until, finally, it sparked and exploded, leaving only shredded metal legs and ancient-looking parts in its place.

The world stilled. It felt like time itself stopped. In the sudden silence, Wind found he could breathe easy again. He let out a breathy, relieved laugh. They were _alive._

Wild slumped forward onto his knees. It took Wind a second to register that he was moaning in pain, his whole body shaking. Wind scrambled to get in front of him and kneeled. He gripped Wild’s shoulders and observed where his hand clutched at his arm.

It didn’t look good. His arm where the shield had cracked was burned pretty badly, already blistering. Wind hissed when he looked at it. “We have to get back to the camp.”

Wild didn’t respond, just continued to shake. Wind shook his shoulders. “Wild, c’mon. We have to go.”

Wild’s hand that didn’t hold his arm plucked at the grass. His movements were jittery. He didn’t try to stand.

Wind grabbed the small satchel attached to his belt and opened it, praying he’d had the sense to pack at least one… there! He pulled out the small vial, not enough to heal the burn but better than nothing. He held out the potion and, after a few moments, Wild took it and drank.

Thankfully, the burn’s redness lessened. A good amount of the blisters disappeared, and Wild’s pained expression softened. Wind watched as the other hero sat back, bracing one hand on the ground. Wind sat back as well, watching Wild carefully. He didn’t look good, and not because of his injury. No, there was something in his eyes that put Wind on edge.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Wind wanted to tell him they had to get back again, but he decided against it. Wild didn’t look steady enough to walk yet.

Finally, Wind asked, “Are you alright?”

Wild looked up, his eyes cloudy and pained. He raised his hands, fingers moving. It took Wind a moment to puzzle out what he was doing.

“Wild, I-I’m sorry, I don’t…” he swallowed. “I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”

Not for the first time, Wind cursed his inability to sign. Many of the others knew how to for various reasons, but Wind was among the minority that had never learned. He’d never needed to on his tiny home island, but now he regretted it. He vowed to ask Time to teach him as soon as they got back to camp.

Wild stared at him for a few moments before sighing and lowering his hands. He opened and closed his mouth a few times.

“You don’t have to speak,” Wind said. “We can go back to camp. You can talk to Time or Twilight.”

Wild shook his head and pointed at Wind.

“What?”

Wild pointed at Wind more forcefully.

“You want to talk to me?”

Wild nodded.

Wind couldn’t help but blush. Well, that was flattering. Wild almost never talked to anyone except Twilight when he was upset.

Wild gripped the grass and closed his eyes. He breathed in and out, shallow at first but growing deeper as he went. Slowly, his shoulders relaxed and some of the tension left his body. Wind wished he knew more of how to help.

Finally, Wild spoke. “I’m alright.”

The way his voice broke on the word ‘alright’ told Wind that he was, in fact, not alright. “Wild…”

Wild shook his head. “No, I… I’ll be okay.”

Wind opened his mouth but nothing came out. Instead, he just nodded.

“Guardian,” Wild said.

Wind’s eyebrows drew together. He knew he’d heard Wild use the word before, but he didn’t know what for. “What?”

“That thing was a Guardian,” Wild clarified. “Big mechanical monster. Foot soldier for the Calamity.”

_Calamity._

“Wait,” Wind said. “Didn’t you defeat your Ganon?”

Wild nodded. “That Guardian shouldn’t have been active.”

Wind had a sinking feeling about what could be behind the Guardian’s attack, but he didn’t voice his idea. Wild didn’t need any more stress right now.

“Did you… have to fight them a lot?” Wind asked.

Wild nodded again, his eyes losing focus. “Anytime I neared some ruins, especially the castle. They were supposed to be on our side at first, but,” he held out his hands, palms up in silent defeat. “The Calamity was smarter, I guess.”

Wind remembered now. When Wild had told them his story, he’d briefly gone over the enemies caused by the Calamity. In the whirlwind of mechanical monsters and mutated blobs of malice, Wind had barely been able to keep up with all of Wild’s adventures.

Guardians: the horribly strong soldiers of Wild’s Ganon, capable of killing someone in one hit if they weren’t strong enough. Their beams were white-hot and painful, setting everything they touched ablaze.

_Oh._

Wind’s eyes went to Wild’s scars.

Wild caught his gaze and laughed bitterly. “Yeah.”

Why hadn’t Wind connected the dots already? It all made so much sense: Wild’s fear-filled gaze, his shaking, his muttering while they ran. Seeing a Guardian when they were supposed to be dead had probably shocked the other hero to his very core.

Wind realized then that Wild never really talked about his feelings. Of course he knew Wild’s story—they all did—but this was the first time he’d really put together the horrific nature of it all.

That thing they just fought had _killed him._

Wild died. Wild died after putting himself through injury after injury in a doomed fight. And then he’d gotten back up again 100 years later and fought the very things that had destroyed everything he ever cared about.

And now, with more of his former memories resurfacing, the Guardians probably carried more trauma than they ever had while he was on his mission to destroy Ganon.

Wind made a noise and flung his arms around Wild. This caught the other hero off guard, and he flinched back. Wind moved to let go, shame already coloring his face, but he was stopped by Wild hugging him back with a fierceness that rivaled Wind’s own.

Wild rubbed his back as if _Wind_ was the one who needed comforting. The thought made him laugh.

“Goddess, Wild,” Wind chuckled. “I’m not the one who needs a hug right now.”

Wild laughed too. It was watery, but it was a laugh. The first one Wind had heard from him all night.

Wind pulled back. “You should tell me more stories when you feel better.”

Wild opened his mouth to speak, but Wind cut him off. “Not the basic rundown you gave us all. I mean _stories_. Ones with feelings. Tell me how you _felt._ ”

Because that’s all Wind really wanted to know now. He realized tonight that he knew Wild, but he didn’t _know_ him. None of them really did, maybe not even Twilight. After tonight, all he wanted to hear about were Wild’s tales of adventure. He wanted to get to know his friend all over again.

Wild nodded. “Okay.”

Wind smiled and stood, offering his hand to help Wild up. Together, they limped their way back to camp. After standing on his ankle for a few seconds, Wind realized where the crack he’d heard while they rolled came from. That would need a potion.

As they walked past the scattered remains of the Guardian, Wind thought back to Wild’s trick with his shield.

“Hey Wild?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re fucking insane.”

Wild barked out a laugh. “Language!”

Wind grinned, “What can I say? Mouth of a sailor.”

Together they walked back to camp, laughing and grinning the whole way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... I was right. I have no self control and wrote another chapter. Please leave me a comment I thrive on them.


	3. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild shows Time a small source of comfort from his adventure.

After days of trudging through the endless empty fields of Wild's Hyrule, Time wanted nothing more than to pass out cold on the ground. Every muscle in his body ached with exhaustion, but he didn't let it show. Or at least he tried not to. From the looks Twilight kept sending his way, he was sure that his face betrayed his feelings.

So he wasn't at all surprised when Twilight fell in step with him and offered to take first watch.

Time shook his head. "I already said I'd take it."

Twilight gave him a look but didn't press the issue. "I'll take second then."

Time shook his head again. "Wild already offered. You hardly slept last night."

Twilight's eyes darted to Wild, who walked ahead of the group, shoulders bent wearily. Wind walked close by, occasionally saying a few words to Wild, who would smile weakly or nod in response. Time made a mental note of that. Ever since the two of them had returned from their hunting excursion a few days ago, battered and bruised, they'd been unusually close.

"I'm fine," Twilight argued, but Time knew he was lying. He could already see the exhaustion in his protégé's eyes. Time gave him a knowing look.

Twilight backed down with a sigh.

It wasn't long before they stopped for the night. They set up camp in a shallow cave at the base of a hill, just deep enough to block the wind that had started to pick up.

Wild made a simple dinner, but to Time it tasted like heaven after the exhausting day of travel. It wasn't long before most of the heroes tapped out for the night. Time watched as Wild ruffled Wind's hair while the younger boy tucked into his bedroll. He had to suppress a laugh at Wind's offended expression.

After a bit, everyone was asleep, and Time was alone with his thoughts. He sat just at the edge of the cave, watching the night wind blow the grass around. It was a peaceful night, just warm enough to be comfortable. No bugs buzzed around, and no monsters roamed the land to disturb their peace. Hopefully this would be an easy watch shift.

Time sat for a while, thinking about home and how much he wished they could be back in his Hyrule. The time the group spent with Malon hadn't been near enough, and all he wanted was one peaceful night in his own bed. As much as he loved Wild, he really didn't love his Hyrule. It was too… empty. Devoid of life, really. Time knew it wasn't Wild's fault, but the wasteland had him on edge. The scattered ruins and Guardian husks didn't help.

And Wild, well… Wild was an enigma. When the world shifted to Time's Hyrule, Time had been overjoyed. The same went for some of the others, especially Legend. But when they'd arrived in Wild's Hyrule, he hadn't so much as let out a peep of excitement. He'd just straightened his back and led on. Occasionally they passed something that made Wild falter, but he barely let it show. Time only noticed because he watched the young hero like a hawk.

Time was pretty sure he knew what was up, but he didn't want to ask about it out of fear of triggering bad memories. He knew how it felt to return to a peaceful world but still be on edge. Wild's Hyrule was safe from the Calamity, as he called it, but that didn't mean he  _felt_  safe. When Time's Zelda sent him back to relive his childhood, he'd found himself constantly looking over his shoulder, wondering if his Ganon would be there, ready to make life hell all over again.

The back of Time's neck prickled, and he turned around. Sure enough, Wild watched him from his bedroll, wide awake. Time gave him a gentle smile and patted the ground next to him.

Wild tiptoed over to Time and sat down.

 _Can't sleep?_ Time signed.

Wild nodded.

_Any reason in particular?_

Wild shrugged.  _I'm on edge._

 _I understand,_ Time signed.  _It's hard coming back. Readjusting._

Wild chuckled.  _That's an understatement._

Time joined Wild's laughter.  _If it makes you feel better, I'm having a bit of a hard time adjusting to your world too._

Wild's eyebrows drew together.  _What do you mean?_

 _It's so quiet_ , Time explained quickly, hoping he didn't offend Wild.  _There's hardly anything out there._

Wild gave him a strange look. He turned and stared into the distance. He looked contemplative, eyes trained on something in the distance. Time almost asked him what was wrong, but Wild lifted his hands.

_There are things out there, you just have to know where to look._

Now it was Time's turn to be confused. Wild looked back at the others and then out into the distance again. After a few moments, he nodded and turned to Time.  _Come with me._

Time gestured to the others, sound asleep around the dying fire.

 _They'll be fine._  Wild stood and motioned for him to follow.  _We aren't going far._

With a sigh, Time stood. Wild knew this land better than him, and if he thought the others would be safe, Time trusted his judgement.

Wild set out and Time followed. They didn't talk, just took comfort in each other's presence. The cave where the others slept slowly grew smaller and smaller, but never went out of sight. If something happened, they'd be able to see it easily.

They approached a battered stone bridge, cracked, most likely, from the Calamity. Time didn't want to ask.

Wild trotted to the center of the bridge, skirting holes and bits of shattered rock, and sat. Confused, Time followed his lead.  _Just what was Wild doing?_

Wild smiled. "I used to come here a lot when things got hard."

Time glanced around them. Despite the shape the bridge was in, he had to admit that the scene was peaceful. The lake water rippled gently in the silver moonlight, perfectly reflecting the stars above. No monsters made their home here.

"I can see why," Time said. "It's peaceful."

Wild chuckled. "That's not why."

Time cocked his head and opened his mouth, but Wild held up his hands.  _Wait._

So Time waited, eyes trained on the distant cave. Minutes passed in silence as the moon rose higher in the sky. Time was just about to ask what exactly was going on when Wild tapped his shoulder. "Look."

Time looked to where Wild pointed.

And froze.

There, emerging from the crystalline lake water, was the most beautiful creature Time had ever seen. A massive green dragon with shining golden horns floated its way out of the lake and into the night sky.

Time couldn't help the gasp that escaped his mouth.

Wild chuckled softly. "Farosh."

"Farosh," Time whispered back.

Wild pulled out his sheikah slate and tapped a few buttons. His glider appeared, and he held one end towards Time, motioning for him to grab on. Time took the paraglider and Wild instructed him to hold it above his head and jump. "The dragon creates his own wind current. You'll be able to see him from above."

Time raised the glider and jumped, letting the wind take him into the night sky.

From above, Farosh was more beautiful than he could've imagined. Swirling balls of electricity arced off its side, lighting up the night in brilliant greens and golds. It moved lazily, almost as if it danced in its own soft winds. The sight took Time's breath away.

Time almost didn't want to return to the ground, but he knew the moment couldn't last. Already, Farosh was flying away from the lake and into the sky. With a sigh, Time lowered himself back to the bridge and watched as Farosh disappeared.

Time turned to Wild. "Wow."

Wild watched the spot where Farosh had disappeared to. He had his head tilted up, letting the breeze blow his unbound hair back. "When the journey became too much to deal with, I'd come here to clear my head." Wild looked at Time. "It amazed me that despite all this destruction, this dragon remained untouched. It was like… I didn't need to remember anything. Its ageless. It didn't care if I was Link now or Link from the past. I could just be me."

Time thought of Wild, hurt from long battles and clinging to memories he could barely remember. He could see him trudging to this spot at the center of the bridge and lying down, watching the sky and waiting for Farosh to appear with its soft winds and brilliant light. His heart ached for the younger boy. The too-young boy.

How lonely he must have been.

Time had never realized how secretive Wild was. Time still took the cake for the most secretive of the group, but Wild's willingness to tell his story had completely masked that the group actually knew very little about him. Never once in his story had Wild mentioned a dragon spirit acting as his only source of comfort in a lonely world.

Time put an arm around Wild. "You can talk to me. Whenever you need to talk to someone, I'll be there." It was all the comfort he knew how to offer.

Wild smiled. "You know, you're the third person to say that to me this week."

Time laughed. "It seems the walls are coming down, then."

"So it seems," Wild agreed.

When they returned to the camp, Twilight was awake, sitting at the edge as if he was on watch.  _I saw you leave_ , he signed.

Time chuckled.  _Caught red handed._

 _I can stay up for the next watch if you two need sleep._ Twilight signed.

Time looked back at the bridge. He thought of Farosh, and the peace it brought. Peace Time hadn't realized he needed. Wild's Hyrule no longer felt empty.

He turned to Wild, who just smiled softly.

 _No_ , Time signed.  _No, I think I'll be just fine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's a bit of a happier chapter for you all. I thought something peaceful suited Time better than angst. Also, considering my next story idea is all angst, it's important that some chapters of this are happier (lol).
> 
> Thanks for all the lovely reviews. Every single one makes me so happy.


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple mission into the desert for Four and Wild takes a disastrous turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little more violent than the other chapters. Nothing graphic, but some characters get a pretty beat up. Just wanted to warn you guys, hope you enjoy!

"This  _sucks._ "

Four wiped sweat off his brow and slung it onto the hot sand below. It evaporated on impact. Wild sent him a glance and hummed in agreement.

They were on hour two of trekking through the desert landscape in search of some old ruins with a "secret treasure" in the center. Wild and Four had set out after prying information from a sleezy man in a bar near the edge of the desert, but his directions seemed to take them anywhere  _but_  ancient ruins.

Four groaned and peeled his headband off, using it to pull his hair up into a bun, mimicking Wild's current hairstyle. Wild had lent him some desert clothing, but it was so oversized that Four opted to just remain in his normal tunic. Wild, however, wore an interesting male Gerudo garb that Four had never seen before. When he'd asked how Wild got it, the other hero had just smiled and winked.

"I vote we go back and get better information," Four said.

"That  _was_  the better information," Wild reminded him.

Four groaned and wiped more sweat off his forehead. Sheesh, would he ever stop sweating? What he would give for a cold glass of water right now. At least it wasn't humid.

"None of this looks familiar," Wild murmured. He peered around them and then at his slate. "I know I've been here before, but I think it was only once."

Four didn't know how it could be familiar even if Wild had been here a hundred times. There was nothing but sand. Sand and pillars and more sand for miles. It had been a long time since the world had felt this empty.

Wild turned his slate and squinted at it. "I never even explored this desert enough to know areas by name."

Four sighed and peered up at the sky. The sun still sat high up, bearing down on them with unforgiving heat. Why he had volunteered to go with Wild, Hylia may never know.

Wild groaned in frustration and shook the slate. "Something's messing with the signal."

"Should we go back?" Four asked.  _Please say yes._

Wild, to Four's disappointment, shook his head. "Just a little longer, I think I can figure out where we are."

They trudged on, kicking up hot sand. With every step, Four felt like he sank lower and lower into the ground. At least, it was getting harder to pick his legs up. Even Wild, who had done this before, was having difficulty moving in the sand. Was it getting deeper?

Four's feet shifted uncomfortably in his boots, which were now filled with sand. He wanted to stop and dump them out, but what good would that do if they still had a ways to go through the never ending desert? If he ever saw sand again, it would be too soon.

They walked in silence. Four didn't have the energy to speak through the brutal heat, and Wild was too occupied with his slate to talk. He wanted a distraction from the heat, but it looked like kicking up sand would have to be it.

Four had to bring his knees way up now to prevent himself from sinking into the sand. Why was it so soft here? The only reason he would be sinking this badly is if someone had come in and kicked up tons of the sand. "Wild, I don't think—"

"Aha!" Wild held the slate up triumphantly. "Got the map back!" He brought the slate back down and peered at the screen. "Now, we just have to…" He trailed off, squinting at the slate.

"Wild?"

Three things happened at that moment: Wild shouted "get down!", shoved him out of the way, and the ground exploded.

The force of the blast tossed Four to the side, but the sand broke his fall. Wild, however, wasn't so lucky. Wild's grip on his arm was yanked away as the other hero was tossed into the air by a plume of hot sand and—oh  _goddess._

A creature that looked like some sort of massive, brown whale had emerged from the ground, propelling hot sand into the sky like a volcanic explosion. Through the clouds of dust, Four could see Wild as he flew up into the air, scrambling to grab his slate that flew with him, before gravity took over and he fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

The whale creature burrowed back into the sand, and Four realized with sinking dread why the sand had felt so loose. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted to Wild's crumbled form, grabbing his slate on the way.

When he slid to his knees next to Wild, the other hero was awake, but only barely. He seemed dazed, his eyes clouded and unfocused. They didn't have much time; already the ground was rumbling again. Four swallowed back a lump in his throat and hooked his arms under Wild's.

But, before he could move, Wild grabbed his arm and shook his head. "Senses… motion…" He coughed, granules of sand flying out of his mouth. "Can't drag me."

"What do you suppose we do, then?" Four hissed, not letting go of Wild's arms.

Wild's gaze traveled to his ankle, which was twisted at an awkward angle. He looked at Four's bag. "Potion."

Four, careful not to move his feet on the sand, dug into his bag and pulled out a single health potion. "It's all I have."

Wild downed it and tossed it away with surprising force considering the shape he was in. Four felt the ground rumble and, just as the sand began to fly around the discarded potion bottle, Wild grabbed his wrist. " _Run."_

Wild scrambled to his feet and took off, Four keeping pace alongside him. Four heard the ground explode behind them, followed by the horrible roar of the whale creature, but he didn't dare look back.

Wild was breathing hard. Four could already tell he was slowing down, so he grabbed his arm and hauled him along. Four's heart leapt into his throat when he heard the creature burrow into the sand again and, with a new burst of energy, he hauled ass to a boulder sticking out of the sand.

Four grabbed a crevice in the boulder—which he now saw wasn't a boulder at all but some sort of weathered stone structure—and swung himself off the sand. With a kick, Wild followed, using Four's arm and momentum to get himself off the ground.

When they were both safely on top of the stone, Four collapsed, breathing hard. He didn't feel injured besides some bruises from being thrown, but every breath tore up his throat with inhaled sand and dry desert air. He just needed a moment to collect his thoughts and  _breathe._

He didn't get much time, though, because Wild doubled over, coughing, and fell to his knees. He gripped the stone and braced his arms against it. "I can't—" he covered his mouth. "I can't breathe."

The stone didn't give them much room for movement, but Four managed to face Wild and put one hand on his back and one on his chest. Immediately, Wild hissed in pain and flinched back. "Cracked rib," Four said. "Or something like that."

Wild sat up and took a deep breath. "I'm okay." He looked at Four. "Did you get the slate?"

Four nodded and unhooked the slate from his belt, handing it over to Wild. Wild took the slate, his features softening with relief. "We can't get away with the molduga out there." He tapped something on his slate, and a glowing bomb materialized in his hand. "Just gotta…" He looked out at the sand and threw the bomb. Almost immediately, the ground began to rumble and the creature—molduga—exploded from the ground and swallowed the bomb. Wild hit something on his slate, and the bomb detonated, rendering the molduga immobile.

Wild picked up his sword and moved to leave the stone structure, but Four grabbed his tunic in alarm. "Woa, where the hell are you going?"

Wild looked at the downed molduga and back at Four. "To kill it?"

Four gestured to Wild's ankle—no longer broken but still in bad shape—and to his other injuries. "You can't go out there!" He drew his own sword as the molduga came too and burrowed back in the sand. "You throw the bombs, I hit it. Okay?"

Wild looked like he wanted to protest, but Four shot him a look. Finally, Wild sighed and agreed.

So they did it. It took nearly twenty minutes of Wild throwing bombs and Four running onto the sand to get in a few hits before scrambling back to the stone structure for Wild to haul him up, but they did it. After collecting the loot the molduga left behind, they set out back towards the others, limping along at a slow pace. They couldn't find the ruins with the shape Wild was in—they'd just have to try another day.

Four could tell that Wild was trying to hide his pain. He chatted with Four, joking and smiling, but he couldn't hide his grimace with every other step, or the way his breathing sometimes came out in labored gasps. Four's one health potion had helped, but not enough. Wild needed medical attention fast.

But the world was not on their side that day.

The sandstorm hit them fast and without warning, completely knocking out Wild's navigation. He swore and shook the slate and held it this way and that, but nothing changed. Finally, he just hooked it onto his belt. "I can't see anything."

Four peered through the sand, which tore at his skin and eyes, but couldn't make anything out. He pulled a piece of cloth out of his bag and tied it around his mouth and nose. "We need to find cover. A cave or something."

"I literally have no idea where we are," Wild said, tying a similar cloth around his own mouth and nose. He wiped his eyes and coughed.

Four shot him a concerned look that Wild missed. "We keep walking, then."

And walk on they did, holding hands to keep from getting separated. The sandstorm did not let up, continuing to pelt them with tiny daggers of sand. Wild changed out his Gerudo garb for his tunic to protect his skin, but now he was overheating. Badly. With each step, his feet dragged more. Four found himself taking more and more of Wild's weight as his injuries worsened. Four had taken count of most of the external ones, but he had no idea what internal injuries he had sustained. He prayed they stopped at the cracked ribs, but knowing their luck, Wild was probably way worse for wear and hiding it well.

"Are you alright?" Four finally asked, breaking their silence.

Wild nodded, squinting through the sand. "There has to be some place we can shelter."

Four looked around, but he still couldn't see anything through the raging storm. His throat felt rubbed raw, his lungs filled with sand. It was getting harder to breathe.

Four tugged Wild along, his other hand outstretched to try and feel anything in the storm. It seemed to be clearing a little, just enough that Four could see a few feet in front of him. He grinned. "Wild! I think it's— Wild!"

Wild had collapsed to his knees, coughing violently. His cloth came untied and fell into the sand. Four scrambled to pick it up and tie it back around Wild's face, but he didn't miss the specks of blood that dotted where the cloth had touched Wild's face before. "C'mon Wild, we gotta keep moving. I think I see a cliff wall."

Wild nodded and struggled to his feet. When he finally stood, he leaned heavily on Four, favoring his right ankle. "I'm all good. Have you ever seen me in better shape?" He laughed, but it sounded forced.

Four gripped Wild's arm. "I've seen you much better. Keep moving."

At least he was right—there was a cliff wall nearby. Four felt his way along the wall until he came upon a cave, just deep enough to be shelter from the unrelenting storm. He pulled Wild inside, coughing.

They collapsed on the ground. Four ripped the cloth off this face and pulled his water canteen out of his bag. He took a few swigs before handing it to Wild, who took it with shaking hands. Wild lifted the canteen to his lips, but his hands shook so bad that water spilled out and onto the ground. Four steadied Wild's hands and helped him get a few drinks in before capping off the canteen. "We don't know how long we'll be here, so we need to be careful about how much we drink."

Wild nodded and cracked a smile, his cloth now discarded on the ground. "We did it." Four met his gaze and, though Wild hid it well, he saw the pain the shone through. He opened his mouth to say something about it, but the words didn't come. He sat there for a few moments, his mouth partially open.

Wild raised an eyebrow, so Four swallowed back his rising anxiety and smiled at him. "Yeah, we did."

Wild nodded and leaned against the cave wall, his eyes half lidded. Four watched him move, ready to help, but Wild managed on his own. "I think I'm going to rest. Keep an eye on the storm?"

Four nodded. "I'll wake you when it clears."

Wild smiled softly and closed his eyes.

When he was sure Wild was finally asleep, Four unhooked the slate from Wild's belt, careful not to wake him, and sat facing the storm. It took him a bit of button pushing, but he managed to figure out the basic functionality of the slate. He swiped through Wild's impressive inventory but found next to nothing that could heal him. He finally tossed down the slate in frustration and pulled his knees to his chest.

Four sat like that for a while, watching the storm blow by in a whirlwind of sand and debris. It didn't seem to be clearing up at all, only continuing on with its same intensity. After what felt like forever, he got to his feet and decided to explore the cave.

It wasn't much, just a short, sand-blasted hole in the cliffside. The walls were shockingly smooth after what was probably years of sand weathering them down. He felt along the wall, slowly making his way around the interior, stopping every few minutes to glance back and check on Wild.

Four's hand caught on something, and he stepped back, eyebrows drawing together. He felt around the wall and, sure enough, part of the wall was a loose pile of rubble. He grinned—maybe there was another way out of the storm after all.

"Wild! Hey! I think I found something." Four looked back at Wild, but he didn't stir. Four frowned, but turned back to the pile of rubble. He started to pull at it, breaking through the rocks. A small hole opened up, just wide enough that he could see into an impressive tunnel. He grinned and continued to pull at the rocks until a passageway big enough for them to crawl through opened.

Four went back to his bag and grabbed a lantern. After lighting it, he shone it through the passage in the rubble. The light bounced off the walls of the tunnel, casting odd shadows as it traveled into the darkness. It looked stable enough, with enough room for them to walk side-by-side so Four could support Wild. He nodded once, deeming it sufficient, and went to wake up Wild.

Just as he pulled the lantern out of the hole, something lit up deep within the tunnel. Four's eyebrows scrunched together before his eyes went wide and he jumped out of the way of a flaming arrow coming right for his face.

It flew through the hole he'd opened in the rubble and hit the cave ceiling, exploding in a blast of fire and heat. Wild's eyes flew open and he scrambled to his feet, stumbling towards his slate on the ground. Four sprinted to Wild just as the wall of rubble blew apart. The force of the blast knocked Four into Wild and they hit the ground hard. Wild cried out in pain.

Four hauled Wild up and got in front of him, holding up his shield to whatever had just come through the rubble. Four might be smaller, but that wasn't going to stop him from shielding Wild. Some sort of protective instinct inside him had activated when Wild got hurt, and he could do nothing to stop it. He didn't want to stop it. He braced himself to meet their attackers.

Lizalfos. At least four of them, maybe more in the tunnel. Normally, Wild and Four could take on that many and be fine but, with the shape Wild was in, the odds were not in their favor. As well, with how strong monsters were lately, they didn't have the force to take down this many Lizalfos. Four grit his teeth.

"Wild, back out of the cave."

He felt Wild shift and look behind them at the raging storm. "We can take them…" He sounded unsure.

Four shook his head. "Don't be stupid. Back out of the cave." It was a little harsh, but it got Wild, who grew increasingly dazed by the minute, to move.

Wild moved back, and Four followed. The Lizalfos stared at them, watching for any sign that they let their guard down. Four stared back.

His mistake came when he looked back to make sure Wild was okay. As soon as he took his eyes off the Lizalfos, Wild's eyes widened, and he shouted something before pulling Four out of the way.

The biggest Lizalfos—the one with the fire arrows—swung a massive lance, and Wild had no time to block. It collided with Wild's chest and sent him flying into the storm with a horrible  _crack_. Four screamed something, some mix of Wild's name and a prayer.

Four didn't bother to look back at the enemies—he sprinted into the storm without a second thought. Immediately, the sand tore at his skin, but he ignored the pain. "Wild!" The wind ripped his voice away. Could Wild even hear him?

He didn't need to. Four found him, crumbled in the sand, trying to push himself off the ground. Four slid to his knees next to Wild and sat him up.  _Oh goddess, oh goddess, please be okay._ Anxiety rose in Four's chest, but he shoved it down. He couldn't afford to panic. Not now.

He heard the Lizalfos muttering behind him, probably peering out of the cave entrance but not daring to enter the storm.

Wild groaned, but at least he was awake. Four tried to meet his gaze, but Wild's eyes refused to focus. He probably had a concussion, and a nasty one at that. Four pulled a small pouch out of his bag and tore it in half. They'd left their cloths back in the cave, so this would have to do.

After securing the cloths around their mouths and noses, Four helped Wild into a standing position. Wild lurched violently to the side. Four steadied him. "C'mon Wild, we just have to find somewhere else."

Wild didn't respond, but he shuffled forward. Four moved with him, but it only took a few steps for Wild to lurch forward again. Four scrabbled to keep him upright, but he could barely hold all of Wild's teetering weight. Wild pulled the cloth off his mouth and vomited. Four could do nothing but hold his shoulders and rub his back.

Four had no idea what the hell to do. He wasn't the medic of the team, not even close. And here they were, trapped in the middle of a sandstorm, battered and bruised with injuries worsening by the minute. If Four had to take a guess, Wild probably had a few broken ribs by now. He tried to keep a calm face for Wild, but he doubted the other hero even registered it.

When Wild stopped vomiting, Four helped him pull the cloth back over his mouth. "We gotta keep moving." His voice cracked and he swallowed. Hard. "C'mon Wild…"

Wild, thankfully, nodded. Okay, he was responsive.

Four couldn't hold Wild's weight. Even with Wild supporting himself a little, they could barely make ground. But maybe…

Okay, he was about to do something incredibly stupid, but it might just save their hides.

"Wild, I have an idea, but you have to be calm okay?"

Wild blinked and nodded.

Four took a deep breath and raised his sword.

Well, it had been a while.

He felt the split like a gentle pulling; saw the flash of light through his closed eyelids. One mind became four, and his head suddenly felt emptier.

Green opened his eyes and smiled.

Wild blinked, dazed eyes going from each copy to the next, but he didn't say anything. As one, they moved to support Wild. It was a little awkward at first, but they eventually situated themselves comfortably. Carefully, they continued on, keeping Wild's weight off of his now-definitely-broken ankle.

The storm cleared up a little, just enough that Green could make out blurry objects in front of him. Wild made a noise and put a hand to his mouth. Red sent Green a worried look before putting a hand on Wild's arm and rubbing it soothingly.

"I… can't…" Wild said, and then vomited.

"Goddess…" Blue hissed, catching Wild as he fell forward.

Wild wiped his mouth and put a hand on his chest. "It hurts."

Oh.

Wild had broken ribs.

_Of course vomiting hurt._

"We have to stop somewhere. Find shelter," Vio said.

Wild shook his head. "I can do it." He tried to stand, but he stumbled. Four pairs of hands grabbed him and kept him from hitting the ground.

All four of them locked eyes and nodded. They didn't even have to say their plan out loud. Each one grabbed Wild and, together, they lifted him off the ground. If he couldn't walk, then they were going to carry him.

Wild didn't protest. It looked like his last attempt to stand was all the energy he had left. Green knew Wild had suffered worse—Wild had told them all the gruesome story of the Calamity—but he couldn't help but feel like Wild was already beyond their ability to help. He'd never seen Wild so  _hurt._

They made slow but steady progress through the storm. It still raged, but with less ferocity than before. At least it wasn't as hot now. Green was grateful for that much, at least. He had to find the positive parts of this, or he'd lose his mind. Already, he could tell Blue was growing frustrated.

Blue would never admit that it was to hide his fear.

Finally, after what felt like forever, they came upon a crumbled stone structure that was just intact enough to block the sandstorm. One part of the roof was completely caved in, and parts of the walls had holes, but it was shelter that didn't have enemies lurking behind a pile of rubble.

They gently set Wild down before collapsing against various walls. Vio dug through their bag and pulled out the water canteen. "Here." He shuffled over to Wild and made him drink.

It wasn't a health potion, but it seemed to restore some of Wild's strength. His eyes focused more than they had in the past hour. However, he immediately groaned and closed his eyes when they landed on the four clones. "I must've… really hit my head."

"This is normal," Vio said.

Blue snorted.

Green wanted to joke and lighten the mood too, but Wild's comment reminded him of something. He scooted over to Wild and knelt in front of him. Wild had closed his eyes again, and now he breathed unevenly in a state of half-awake.

Green put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, hey, wake up Wild."

Wild slowly opened his eyes. It took longer than Green liked for them to focus, but they eventually did. Green smiled. "Can you count backwards from ten?"

Wild blinked at him.

"I'm just checking something."

Wild nodded. "Ten… nine… uh, eight…" he trailed off, his face scrunching up in concentration.

"Okay, um…" Green said. It was worse than he thought. He held up his finger. "Can you follow my finger?"

Wild nodded, so Green slowly moved his finger around. Wild followed it for a few seconds before he closed his eyes and shook his head. "Sorry… uh…"

"Green."

"Sorry Green."

Green nodded. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."

He immediately turned to the others and made a face that said  _"that was a total lie."_

But all they could do was wait out the storm. They talked for a little, planning out what they would do once it cleared. They decided that Vio and Blue would hike it back to the oasis market and buy some health potions and deliver them back to Wild so he could at least walk back.

Green didn't like the idea of waiting. With each passing moment, his heart beat faster. Wild grew pale, his breathing labored. Green checked on him every few minutes.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Red asked, breaking their silence.

Vio nodded. "Eventually."

"He's in bad shape," Green added. "Not sure how hard he hit his head, but the concussion is pretty bad."

"I… can hear you," Wild said, not opening his eyes.

Blue laughed.

Finally, the storm cleared up. To breathe clean air not filled with sand was more of a relief than Green could've ever imagined. He inhaled deeply once the dust settled and grinned.

Vio and Blue took off with a promise to be as fast as possible.

Red moved next to Wild, watching the rise and fall of his chest. Green could sympathize with his anxiety—every time Wild's breathing stuttered, Green's heart stuttered with it.

Red met his gaze. "So, the secret's out."

Green nodded.

Red's eyes flicked to Wild for a split second. "What now?"

Green sighed and sat down against the wall opposite of Red and Wild. "I don't know."

Red turned back to Wild and put a hand on his leg. Wild stirred but didn't open his eyes. "Do you think he'll keep the secret? At least for now?"

"If we ask," Green said, eyes darting to Wild as his breathing stuttered again. When it evened out, he looked back at Red. "He's kept Twilight's."

Red nodded. "Yeah, yeah you're right."

It didn't take long for Vio and Blue to return with two health potions. They hadn't taken a lot of money with them on their journey to the ruins, having spent most of it bribing the man in the bar for information, so it was all they could get, but it would do.

It took some coaxing, but Wild managed to wake up enough to swallow both potions to their last dregs. After a few minutes, his eyes refocused, and he smiled. "Takes more than that to kill me."

"Don't say that!" Red hissed. He put a hand on Wild's arm. "We were worried."

After a few minutes of Wild thanking each of them individually, Four merged back to himself again.

He took a few seconds to let Vio and Blue's memories settle into his mind before opening his eyes to smile at Wild. "Hey."

"That's, uh…" Wild swallowed and smiled. "That's a neat trick."

"A secret trick," Four said with a pointed look. "A secret trick that doesn't get shared."

Wild nodded. "I know what you mean." He mock saluted. "You can count on me."

Wild pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled a bit and winced when he put weight on his left ankle, but for the most part, he seemed okay. He still leaned on Four, but it wasn't nearly as heavily as before.

Slowly but surely, they trekked back through the desert to the others.

* * *

After hours of Hyrule shoving health potions down Wild and Four's throats and bandaging their (pretty extensive) cuts from the sandstorm, they were finally allowed to sit down with a hot meal from a nearby market and rest.

Wild leaned against a tree, outside their camp's circle but still within sight of the others. Four sat next to him, not wanting to leave him alone just yet. Even bandaged and healed, Four still had the instinct to protect Wild.

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying their dinner, which tasted much better than hot sand being blown down their throats. When Wild finished eating, he smiled softly at Four. "Thank you."

Four shook his head. "You would've done the same."

Wild's eyes focused on something in the distance, but Four was just grateful that they  _could_  focus again. Hyrule had said that he still had a pretty nasty concussion that needed actual time to heal fully, but the worst was over with. "You let out a pretty big secret," Wild said. "That was brave."

Four shrugged. "It was all I could do. Four of me means four times the strength."

Wild chuckled, fingers playing with the blades of grass beneath him. "I get the nickname now."

Four laughed. He'd gotten so used to the others calling him that, he'd never stopped to think that they didn't know where the name came from. Well, when he finally told the others his secret, they'd get it too.

They fell into a comfortable silence, watching the wind rustle the leaves of the tree canopy above them. The group had left the desert completely behind at Wild and Four's request. Neither of them wanted to see sand again for a long, long time.

"Hey Wild?" Four said.

Wild turned to him. "Yeah?"

Four bit his lip. He had been thinking about what he was going to say to Wild for the past few hours but, now that they were actually talking, the words wouldn't come. He opened and closed his mouth a few times.

"Four?"

Four swallowed. "Yeah, sorry." He ran a hand through his hair. "I… why did you…" he trailed off. How did he say this without being rude?

Wild raised an eyebrow.

Four couldn't take it anymore; skirting around what he wanted to say was never his style. "You were hurt, Wild. Really hurt. But you played it off." He clenched his fists. "You kept acting like everything was fine, and then  _you_  took the hit from the Lizalfos! You could've  _died_ , Wild." Four's voice cracked and he swallowed hard. Goddess, he hated getting emotional while talking to people. "You could've died, and you still got in front of me."

Wild stared at him.

"I just don't understand why you didn't care what happened to you."

Wild blinked. "I… Four, I—"

Four shook his head. He never meant to make Wild upset. "No, no, this was stupid of me to complain about." He moved to stand.

Wild put a hand on Four's leg. "No, no, it's not stupid." He shuffled so he was fully facing Four. "We dealt with a lot today. I get why you're upset."

"So why," Four whispered, unable to stop himself from asking. "Why then?"

Wild turned away, eyes lifting to the starlit sky. "I…" He shuffled, mouth opening and closing a few times. Four gave him a bit to find his words. Wild motioned with his hands. "I was a… well I don't really remember much… but in the training—I mean—"

"Hey, hey," Four cut him off. He could practically  _see_  Wild's mind racing, trying to produce the right words. Four lifted his hands.  _I know sign._

Wild visibly relaxed. He took a few deep breaths and signed,  _I guess it's leftovers from before… being a knight, I wasn't supposed to let anything bother me. Keep going until I couldn't anymore._

Four frowned.

Wild continued.  _I grew up in the program. My father was a knight, and so I was one too. I don't remember lots of it, just bits and pieces, but… everything I was taught, it's all still there, just buried under new memories._ He paused and ran a hand through his hair.  _When I was appointed Zelda's knight, I was tasked to protect her no matter what. When the kingdom fell…_  He trailed off, his face paling.

Four shook his head quickly.  _No, no, you don't have to tell me._

 _No, I'm okay._ Wild took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  _When the kingdom fell, Zelda and I were cornered by guardians, and we were both so hurt. I was already near death… broken ribs, broken arm, punctured lung, burns, you name it. And when it looked like that was it for us…_ He shrugged.  _I stood my ground. I stood for her. I was meant to die for the princess and die for her I would._ Wild pulled his eyes away from the sky and met Four's gaze. "I would die for you, too. Any day. That's my answer."

Four couldn't speak. It felt like the world came to a stop except for the breeze, blowing his hair gently. Wild held his gaze, unwavering, like he was challenging Four to protest.

Four  _wanted_  to protest. Four wanted to yell at Wild that  _no, no, you don't die for me. You don't die for anyone, you idiot, you've already died enough. Don't do what the knights made you do._  But looking into Wild's eyes now, he knew this wasn't a product of the knights' training. This wasn't Link, knight of Hyrule, but Wild, savior of Hyrule.

This was Wild, Four's  _brother._

Four knew Wild wasn't keen on touch, so he matched the intensity of Wild's gaze and offered him the solidarity he could.

"I would die for you, too," Four said, gaze unwavering. "Any day."

Wild smiled, and Four smiled, and they laughed together. Their first good laugh of the day. And it was like the injuries weren't there, and the horror of the sandstorm was, just for a brief moment, a bad dream, and they were  _okay._

And maybe they weren't okay. Maybe they both had old wounds and battle scars that had never fully healed and never would, but in that moment, as they laughed and ate apples and slept against the tree, the wounds didn't hurt so bad.

In that moment, the world kept turning, and they breathed a little easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter took forever to write, but I'm so proud of how it turned out. Boy howdy is it long lol. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Also, did you guys see the Nintendo direct today? Botw sequel.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for waiting awhile for this chapter! Now that I'm graduated, I have more time to write. See you guys next chapter!


	5. Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sky and Wild have a day at the market.

Sky loved markets.

He loved the sounds of bustling around, people weaving in and out of stalls, purchasing handmade and hand-grown goods to bring home. Each noise had a story behind it. Was it a young mother buying fresh fruit for her family? Was it a little girl purchasing a new trinket to play with her brother? Was it an elderly man, looking for a new set of gardening tools to replace his well-loved set that he was ready to retire? Every person at the market had a story to share.

Sky grinned and looked around. There were a lot of people here today, which meant they had a huge area to cover before the day ended. The group split up, with Wild and Sky taking the farthest end of the bustling market. Even all the way over here, tons of people milled about.

Sky went over the list in his head again.  _Potions, bandages, miscellaneous healing supplies, food, new sword for Wild, new shield for Wild, new cooking tools for Wild…_  sheesh, Wild sure did break a lot of things.

A particular stall caught his eyes. An assortment of various plants rested on the front counter. Sky tugged Wild towards it. "Anything you need here?"

Wild looked a little jostled when Sky let him go. He dusted himself off and peered at the grains. "Probably some wheat and rice, yeah."

They paid for the wheat and rice and dumped it in Wild's bag.

They merged back into the crowd, weaving between adults and children alike. Sky felt  _amazing._  The crowds here reminded him of home, of Skyloft during festivals when everyone was buying and selling and trading in preparation. After weeks traveling through the wilderness, only stopping at sparsely populated villages every few days, this market felt like heaven.

Sky breathed deeply. "Wanna stop for lunch? Something smells amazing over there." He turned to look at Wild, who was looking around the crowd like he was lost. "Wild?"

Wild jumped. "What'd you say?"

"Do you want to get lunch?"

Wild nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, sounds good."

Sky cocked his head, but he brushed Wild's distraction off as looking for what they needed. Wild was particularly excited about getting a new sword.

Sky tugged Wild along to the source of the smell, which happened to be a crowded food stall serving hot soups and stews. Sky's mouth watered at the sight. He rushed up to the stall and purchased a beef stew for himself before moving out of the way for Wild.

Wild stepped up to the counter, wide-eyed. "I'll have, uh… I'll have—I mean, I'll—" He swallowed. "What he got."

The man gave Wild a weird look and handed him a bowl of stew. Wild purchased the stew without another word and hurried away from the stall.

Sky followed him, concerned. Was Wild feeling alright? He looked sickly pale.

Wild sat down at a table near the edge of the market. Sky plopped down next to him and started devouring his stew. It tasted just as good as it smelled. "You alright?" He asked, mouth full of food.

Wild spun his spoon in the bowl. "Fine."

Sky swallowed. "You look like you're going to be sick. You sure you're okay?"

Wild nodded and, as if to prove his point, shoved a massive spoonful of stew into his mouth.

They finished lunch quickly and set out to find a blacksmith. They had enough money to buy Wild a sword that would last, they just needed to find one.

Now that it was after lunch and people migrated away from the food stalls, the crowds in the walkways became even thicker. Sky found himself having to push past people, holding onto Wild's wrist so they didn't get separated. Wild followed him without a word.

They found a stall with few people nearby and stopped for a quick rest.

"Isn't this awesome?" Sky said, looking around with a grin. He felt  _alive._  "It's like home."

Wild breathed heavily, leaned against one of the stall walls. He nodded.

Sky cocked his head. They had moved fast through the crowd, but not so fast that Wild should be out of breath. "You sure you're feeling alright?"

Wild nodded again. "Let's find a blacksmith."

They dove back into the crowd.

Sky picked his way between people with ease, used to the crowds. Wild, however, wasn't so lucky. Every few seconds, Sky heard somebody exclaim in surprise behind him, quickly followed by a stuttered apology from Wild. "Sorry, sorry—er, sorry—ah!" Sky grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer.

It took nearly half an hour, but they finally happened upon a blacksmith's stall. Various weaponry sat on the front counter, cleaned and shined. Sky could see even more in the back.

"G'day, gentlemen," the blacksmith greeted with a gap-toothed grin. "In search of something in particular?"

Sky looked to Wild, who was still pale. When he didn't speak, Sky turned to the man. "My friend here is looking for a new broadsword. Something sturdy that will hold up in a fight."

The man nodded. "Broadsword, eh? Let me see what I got."

They spent the next twenty minutes examining various swords. The man had even more behind the stall, it turned out, and Wild tried them all without much more than a yes or no as a review. He finally settled on nice-looking sword with a simple blue and gold hilt.

After purchasing the sword, Wild strapped it to his back. At this point, the crowds had thinned out just enough for there to be decent walking room, so they moved at a slower pace. Sky took the time to stop at many stalls, just to chat with the workers and see what they had to offer. Wild stayed silent.

Sky was stopped at a clothing shop when he heard a small commotion behind him.

"You can't just stand in the way like that!" Somebody snapped. Sky turned around to find a burly man looking down at Wild, red in the face. A small crowd had gathered around them, and Wild's eyes darted around to all the people watching.

Wild said nothing.

The man leaned towards Wild. "You gonna say anything?"

Sky saw Wild's hands shake.

"Hey! That's enough!" Sky stepped away from the clothing stall and marched up to the man. He knew Wild could handle himself, but he didn't look fully present in the situation.

The man turned his attention to Sky. "And who are you?"

"Doesn't matter. Let him be, he did nothing wrong. You could always go around him."

The man opened his mouth to protest, but at that moment, a market guard showed up. Someone had broken away from the crowd to report the escalating situation. The guard politely asked the angry man to either calm down or leave, and, with a huff and glare in Wild's direction, he stormed off.

Sky didn't wait for the crowd to disperse. He grabbed Wild's arm and tugged him out of the market and into the bordering trees.

"You're obviously not alright," Sky said once they were out of earshot of the market.

Wild breathed heavily. "I… I don't… the crowds and—"

"Woah, woah, hey," Sky interrupted. "Deep breaths. Talk when you're ready."

Wild closed his eyes and deliberately slowed his breathing. Sky sat silent, waiting for Wild to calm down.

After a few minutes, Wild opened his eyes again.

"Better?"

Wild nodded and attempted a small smile. Sky smiled back.

Wild sat back against a tree. "Sorry. The crowds just make me nervous."

"Don't apologize," Sky said, joining Wild on the ground. "Any reason why you don't like the crowds?"

Wild shrugged. "You've been to my Hyrule. It's not exactly the most populated place."

"Oh. Right."

Wild chuckled. "Yeah. I guess I was used to crowds once, before… y'know, but not anymore. All the shoving and bumping and noise… don't like it."

Of course.

Sky should've caught on long before. He'd been so wrapped up in how much he loved the market, he'd failed to discern why Wild wasn't having a good time. He'd never expected Wild to love the market as much as he did, but this… "I'm sorry."

"What? Why?"

"Because I didn't realize. I got caught up in my own enjoyment."

Wild's eyes narrowed and he faced Sky with an intensity in his gaze. "No. No, don't apologize. Not for what makes you happy."

"But—"

"No." Wild took Sky's hand. "I wasn't there because I had to be. I wanted to… y'know, hang out."

Sky barked out a laugh and clapped a hand over his mouth. "We could've hung out anywhere else, y'know."

Wild shrugged. "But you like the market."

Sky shoved Wild's shoulder. Wild shoved Sky back.

Wild had put up with the suffocating air of the market to be with him. While Sky didn't understand how Wild had felt in the market, he'd felt that similar suffocating feeling plenty of times before, and yet Wild had dealt with it anyways. Sky owed it to him to do something he liked, too, and he had just the idea.

Sky stood. "C'mon, we pretty much got what we needed. Let's get going."

Wild stood and scrunched his eyebrows. "But we didn't get my shield. Or the cooking stuff."

Sky waved him off. "Someone else will get it. You like to forage for food too, yeah?"

Wild's eyes lit up, and Sky knew he had hit the jackpot.

They spent the next hour looking through the dense trees around the market, Wild explaining the various plants and animals, and the ways they could be used in cooking and for medicinal purposes. Sky couldn't keep up half the time, but he made notes of the most important things for future reference. It would always be useful to have survival skills on hand.

Wild held up a sphere-like, purple plant that Sky had never seen before. "This is armoranth. On its own, it's pretty useless, but if you cook it just right, it helps withstand some hard-hitting enemies." He handed it to Sky. "Try it."

Sky peered at the purple plant. It looked like a weird seed pod, unlike any sort of plant he'd seen before. He took it hesitantly and bit on the plant, expecting a soft texture and bitter taste. Instead, his teeth crunched on what felt like a rock. Sky swore and dropped the plant.

Wild burst into laughter.

Sky glared at him. "You knew that would happen!"

Wild bent down and picked up the armoranth, still laughing.

"And you just let me go for it?"

Wild put the armoranth in his bag and wiped his eyes. "I did it the first time, too. Ate almost everything I came across, really." He put an arm around Sky, who glowered at Wild. "Once you cook it it softens up. Even has some healing effect… I think." Wild looked at his bag, arm still around Sky. "We'll roast it tonight. See what it does."

Sky couldn't stay mad at Wild; the armoranth hadn't even hurt his teeth. He laughed and tugged on Wild's sleeve. "Let's look for some more stuff."

Watching Wild excitedly explore the woods, completely in his element, Sky couldn't help but smile. He'd had his time where he was happy, and now Wild got his. And hey, he enjoyed this too.

And if he said he never asked Wild to take him out foraging again, he'd be a liar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a minute since I updated this one! Been busy, so thank you guys for sticking through the wait! 
> 
> As always, drop a comment! I love to see them.


	6. Warriors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warriors believes a formal party is the perfect chance for the heroes to relax and take a breather.

For the first time in weeks, Warriors felt at ease.

He smiled at the woman talking to him, champagne flute balanced in his hand, occasionally tipping it to his lips when he felt the conversation lull. She was a lovely woman, not much younger than him, with a heart-shaped face and soft edges that had never seen the light of battle. Lady Elia of Themor, a province just south of here.

She prattled on about this and that, often bringing up the war and Warriors' role in it. She thanked him, and he thanked her for the compliments, and so it went.

He took his leave when he spotted Four at the edge of the room, arms crossed and miserable looking. He inclined his head to Elia with a smile, who blushed profusely and stuttered a goodbye.

Warriors picked his way through the crowd, occasionally greeting people who recognized him but avoiding conversation. It seemed like everyone in Hyrule wanted to talk to him tonight; the hero who had been gone for months on a new mission.

Finally, he reached Four, who scowled up at him. He had his hair pulled up and wore a neatly pressed, stiff blue (borrowed) shirt that buttoned up to his neck. If not for his expression, he would've fit right in with the crowd of nobility. "I was under the assumption that this would be a chance for us to relax and have fun."

"As was I," came a voice from behind him before Warriors could answer. Wind trotted past and stood next to Four, looking even more uncomfortable than the other. His wind-swept hair was slicked back, and he wore a similar outfit to Four, also borrowed, and green instead of blue. "That's what you told us, at least."

Warriors sighed. To him, this  _was_  his chance to relax. It was a familiar setting to him, but to some of his companions… "Okay, so maybe this isn't your cup of tea."

"It's not my cup of anything," Wind waved his hand to the back of the grand hall. "I've already had three people try to direct me to the younger kids."

Four snorted. "Three? I've had five."

Warriors turned to where Wind gestured to and, sure enough, a crowd of sharply dressed children, ranging from maybe seven years old to about a year younger than Wind, mingled around a table of age-appropriate drinks and food. "You could… try introducing yourself?"

Wind threw his hands up. "I did! You think any of those kids have been in battle? They're all a bunch of pampered rich kids who think they're better than everyone else."

Warriors winced. He knew a few of those kids. "Not all of them."

"Most of them," Wind said, crossing his arms.

Four snatched a glass of champagne from a passing server, whose protests were cut short as Four swallowed it in one go. The server blinked once, looked at Warriors, and left without a word. Warriors had to suppress his laugh.

Four set his glass down. "Look, I know you really wanted us to enjoy this, Warriors, so we'll try." Four shot Wind a look as the younger hero started to protest. "We  _will_  try."

Wind closed his mouth. "Yeah, okay, but I'm not putting up with anyone treating me like a kid."

Satisfied, Warriors let them be and fell back into the crowd.

He'd never been to this manor before. They were in the western-most end of his Hyrule, attending a birthday celebration for Lord Niras Echin's eldest son, who had invited Warriors so he could have the Hero at his celebration. When Warriors explained to the others where they were going, it had shocked them to learn that his Hyrule had more provinces and nobility than any of theirs. He'd just shrugged and given them a quick rundown of how his Hyrule functioned.

He scanned the mingling nobles for his companions, hoping at least some of them were having fun. He spotted Sky first, laughing with a young man who couldn't have been much older than Sky himself. Sky had managed to ruffle the gel out of his hair, and he looked far more at ease than he had after the stylists had finished with him.

It had been kind of the host to provide the others with clothing, but even Warriors thought the insistence on their hair being combed, gelled, pulled back, and every other thing under the sun was a bit extensive. Well, everyone's hair except his.

He was grateful that he could stay in his Hero's uniform.

He spotted Time next, doing his best to hold polite conversation with an older woman and her husband. He looked relatively at ease, at least, in his cornflower blue tunic. His hair hung down, half covering his bad eye.

Twilight lurked near the edge of the hall, drinking wine and eating hors d'oeuvres at a table with Legend, who looked bored out of his mind. Hyrule chatted animatedly with a young woman who looked completely enraptured by him. Well, good for Hyrule.

Well, that was everyone.

Wait.

Where was Wild?

Warriors' eyebrows drew together as he scanned the crowd for his missing companion. Had Wild managed to ditch the party altogether? Wild had been stiff as a board as the stylists got him ready for the party, but Warriors hadn't thought he hated it so much that he would leave without a word, even if Warriors had expected him to be the one to hate the party the most.

If he had left, Warriors was going to have some words. It was rude to leave a party without first thanking the host, especially since Lord Niras allowed Warriors' companions to attend without protest.

Warriors scanned the crowd one last time, searching for a shock of long blond hair. If he were Wild, where would he…

Warriors froze.

There, in the crowd, stood Wild.

He looked immaculate. His hair was braided neatly down his back, his bangs combed and swept out of his eyes. He wore a forest green shirt with silver embroidery and buttons, pressed to the extent of a noble's clothing, with a silver sash tied around his waist. But that wasn't what shocked Warriors.

No, it was everything else about Wild. He held himself high, like Warriors often did at events like these, shoulders back and spine straight, yet somehow still relaxed. A soft smile rested on his face, just genuine enough so he looked invested in the conversation, and he balanced a champagne flute between his fingers. Talking to him was Lady Elia, giggling and blushing whenever Wild spoke.

Elia said something, and Wild chuckled, but it seemed almost rehearsed. The laugh was too perfect, his smile too pristine. Every gesture he made looked like part of a play, somehow both relaxed and stiff, like a memorized movement. Elia didn't seem to notice, enraptured by Wild whenever he spoke.

Wild finished off his champagne and set the glass on a passing server's tray before swiftly grabbing two more. He offered one to Elia with a gentle smile, who blushed and took it with delicate fingers.

Warriors was aware he was staring, but he didn't care.

The relaxed posture that Warriors had grown used to seeing on Wild, the way his eyes sparkled with excitement, all the things that made him the Hero of the Wild, were hidden beneath the pressed green clothing.

He looked  _regal._

Wild said something to Elia and walked away, just to be swept up into another conversation with two young women and a man who Warriors recognized but couldn't name.

That's when Warriors saw it. A quick flash in Wild's gaze, a shift in his posture. It only lasted a moment, but it was enough for Warriors to see his discomfort.

Warriors made a decision and made his way to Wild, dodging the people trying to pull him into their conversations with soft taps on his shoulder and whispers of "Link, come here for a moment?"

"You must've seen your fair share of battles," one woman was saying as Warriors approached. "Given your… unfortunate circumstance." She gestured to Wild's scars.

Wild's delicate smile tightened. "You could say that."

"Pardon my interruption," Warriors said, placing a hand on Wild's shoulder. "But I must speak to my friend here. Alone."

The group nodded, and Warriors pulled Wild away from them and out of the crowd to an empty corner of the hall.

He was sure they were out of earshot, but he still kept his voice low when he said, "Are you alright?"

Wild nodded, but it had the same feeling as his earlier movements. Rehearsed and memorized. "I'm fine, thank you."

Even his voice sounded stiff.

Warriors put his hands on Wild's shoulders. "You can relax. You don't have to put on an act for me."

Wild blinked once. Twice. His shoulders slumped. "Oh goddess."

Warriors smiled reassuringly.

Wild rubbed his eyes. "I don't even know what—" he gestured towards the crowd. "I don't know what that was."

"Do you want to talk—"

"Somewhere else. Not in here," Wild interrupted.

Warriors nodded scanned the hall. There, just a few paces away, was the exit to one of the balconies, which was currently empty due to the early winter chill in the air. Knowing both he and Wild could handle the cold, Warriors slipped outside with Wild, careful not to draw any attention.

The cold air hit him as soon as he stepped outside, but he didn't mind it. Compared to the rising heat and stuffiness in the hall, this felt incredible.

Wild made his way to the edge of the balcony and braced his arms on the stone railing. He leaned out, eyes closed. Warriors watched him. This felt more like Wild, using the wind and the cold to calm himself. After a few moments, he turned back to face Warriors.

"Better?"

Wild shrugged. "A little."

Warriors looked Wild over. He was still stiff, spine straight, but his shoulders weren't thrown back, and he didn't have that rehearsed smile on his face anymore. Good, good.

Wild sighed and leaned back against the railing. "I, uh… that must've been weird, yeah?"

Warriors couldn't help but laugh. He raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

Wild shook his head. "Sorry, sorry." He sighed and looked up at the night sky. "It's um… well…"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Warriors said, noticing Wild's discomfort. And why wouldn't he be uncomfortable? Wild was far closer with Time or Twilight, or even Four or Wind for that matter. And Sky, as of late, too. In fact, Wild often didn't come to Warriors for advice or comfort at all; there was no reason for him to feel comfortable telling Warriors anything.

Warriors pushed down how much that hurt.

"No, it's okay," Wild said. He lowered his eyes from the sky and met Warriors' gaze. "You know my memory situation, obviously. Lots of gaps," he knocked on his head. "It's a bit of a mess up there. Anyways, sometimes I don't get full memories back, just… feelings. Snippets. Bits of conversation or a mental image. I'll somehow know how to do something that I don't remember learning. Like cooking, or sword fighting."

Warriors had never thought about that. To suddenly know how to do something without remembering why must've been a shock to the system. "That's… interesting."

Wild laughed. "I guess it is. But, well," he gestured to the doors leading back to the hall, "you're familiar with that setting. The pomp and formality. It comes second nature to you, because you've had to do it before."

He was right but, "What are you getting at?"

"I was the same way, before."

Warriors cocked his head. "What?"

" _Before,"_  Wild repeated. "As in, before I died and came back."

Warriors flinched. Well, that was one way to put it.

"I grew up in Castletown. Spent most of my childhood in the castle itself. My father was a knight, I drew the Master Sword when I was twelve… you get the idea."

 _Twelve?_  Sheesh, that made the list of young heroes even longer.

Wild sighed. "I don't remember a lot of it. My childhood, I mean, but I don't need to  _remember_  the events and the rules and the way I was trained to  _know_  how to act the part. Does that make sense?"

"Perfect sense, actually," Warriors said. As a soldier, and now a captain, he knew exactly what it was like to play a part by muscle memory.

"It was so easy to fall back into that part," Wild said. "I didn't… I felt like  _him_."

Warriors didn't have to ask who "him" was.

Wild ran a hand through his hair. "Follow orders, do as you're told, be respectful to your superiors." He gripped his hair. "It just took over. I feel like I have to be him."

Warriors put his hand on Wild's shoulder. "I know what you mean." Wild looked up at him. "It took me a long time to let go of that training after the war, and I still hold on to some of it, but Wild," he looked the younger hero in the eyes, "it's my choice to hold on to it, because being a knight is my chosen role, but  _you_  don't have to.

"You have a choice. You don't have to be 'him,' you can be you, whoever you choose for that to be," Warriors continued. "Anyone would've changed after a journey like yours, memory loss or no. I can promise you that I am not the same man I was before the war. We are all always changing, and you have no obligation to be someone you used to be." He pulled Wild into a hug. "You're  _you._  That's all you have to be."

Wild brought shaking arms up to wrap around Warriors.

"Don't make yourself someone you're not."

"Thank you," Wild whispered.

Warriors rubbed his back. He didn't normally hug people, but Wild needed it, and he'd be damned if he let Wild go without proper comfort.

Warriors pulled away and gave Wild a reassuring smile. "Ready to go back to the party?"

Wild matched his smile. "I suppose."

Warriors patted him on the back. "Remember what I said. Maybe go get a drink and find Twilight. Have some fun." He winked. "It is a party, after all."

Wild grinned and, with a mock salute, trotted back into the grand hall. Warriors watched him with a smile as he grabbed two glasses of wine and plopped down next to Twilight. Twilight visibly relaxed and took a glass from Wild, saying something that made Wild laugh.

Satisfied, Warriors walked back into the hall. As soon as he did, Elia approached him with a dainty smile. "Your friend is quite the gentlemen, Sir Link." She nodded towards Wild.

Warriors watched Wild shove Twilight playfully, Wine splashing out of the latter's glass and onto the table. Warriors tried to hide his smile; so different from the stiff, stoic knight from earlier, and yet so much better.

Elia's eyebrows scrunched up as she watched them. "Where does he hail from?"

Warriors smiled. "He moves around often."

Elia's mouth popped open in a small 'o.' "He is a traveler, then?"

Wild beckoned Wind over and whispered something that made Wind snicker.

"I'd say he's more of a free roamer," Warriors said, watching Wild laugh. "He goes where the wind takes him. He could make a home of any bed under the stars."

"Ah." Elia hummed something nondescript and floated away, her interest in Wild suddenly diminished. Warriors didn't think Wild would mind.

Watching Wild laugh and joke with Twilight, Wind, and now Four, Warriors felt at peace.  _This_  was Wild, not the façade he put on earlier, and if the nobility of this party found that less desirable, then that was their problem. Wild seemed much happier now, and that was how it should've been the whole time.

Wild didn't have to wrap his freedom up in a stiff collared shirt and silver buttons anymore, and Warriors would make sure he never felt he had to again.

_He could make a home of any bed under the stars._

And he could bring that freedom anywhere he went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one finished a little bit earlier than I thought it would, but I just couldn't get the idea out of my head. It was so dang fun to write!!
> 
> Let me know what you think!


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